Mobile Fronthaul

Sten NordellCTO

Mobile Fronthaul vs. Mobile Backhaul

Mobile Fronthaul“The connection between the two main parts of a cellular base station; the baseband unit and radio unit”.

Mobile Backhaul“The network between the core network and the sub networks at the edge”.

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Implications on transport

Technology evolution enables use of optical interfaces in cell site equipment

1. Allows distributed base station architecture

2. Allows centralized BBUs (Base Band Units)

3. Allows consolidating BBUs

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�This opens up for WDM deployments in mobile fronthaul

networks

1. Distributed base station architecture

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� Remote Radio Head (RRH) placed next to antenna

� Digital Radio over Fiber (D-RoF) from antenna to cell site cabinet

�RRU: Remote Radio Unit RRH: Remote Radio Head�BBU: Base Band Unit D-RoF: Digital Radio over fiber (CPRI/OBSAI)

�Copper connected antenna �Fiber connected antenna

�Benefit: �Saves energy!

� Remote Radio Head (RRH) placed in cell site cabinet

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�BBU

�D-RoF

�RRH

�RRH �BBU

�Cell site cabinet �Cell site cabinet

�COAX

�Central Office (CO)

�RRH

2. BBU centralization

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�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�D-RoF�Fronthaul �Backhaul �IP MPLS

�Network

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

� Fiber all the way from antenna to Central Office

� Stacking of BBUs in Central Office

�CO

�CO

�CO

�CO

�BBU

�BBU

�Central Office

�BBU

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Benefits: �Saves even more energy!�Increased security of CO (no need for IPSec)�Saves space in the cell site�Lower total OPEX�Enables X2 optimization�Supports LTE-A evolution

�RRU: Remote Radio Unit �RRH: Remote Radio Head�BBU: Base Band Unit�D-RoF: Digital Radio over fiber (CPRI/OBSAI)

3. BBU consolidation

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�RRU: Remote Radio Unit �RRH: Remote Radio Head�BBU: Base Band Unit�D-RoF: Digital Radio over fiber (CPRI/OBSAI)

�Benefits: �Saves even more energy!�Increased security of CO (no need for IPSec)�Lower total OPEX�Enables X2 optimization�Supports LTE-A evolution �Less interfaces to backhaul / core�CAPEX saving due to lower number of BBUs�Simplification of mobility management

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�D-RoF�Fronthaul �Backhaul �IP MPLS

�Network

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

� Load balancing

�CO

�CO

�CO

�CO

�Central Office

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�BBU

�Lo

ad b

alan

cing

CPRI, low latency and sync

� Common Public Radio Interface – CPRI � Optical high speed protocol between

RRH and BBU� CPRI rates

� 9.830Gb/s� 6.144Gb/s

� 3.072 Gb/s

� 2.4576 Gb/s� 1.2288 Gb/s

� 0.6144 Gb/s

� Low latency and sync performance are key in mobile networks

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�RRH

�BBU

�CPRI

Mobile Fronthaul Solution

� Passive Fronthaul (0 to 80 km) � WDM solution with colored RRH/BBU

interfaces

� Active Fronthaul (0 to 300+ km)Two options:� Transparent WDM � WDM with FEC

Transmode’s solution – Passive and Active options

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�Backhaul

�CO

�CO

�CO

�CO

�Central Office

�Passive fronthaul

�Active fronthaul

�Central Office

Passive Fronthaul

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�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Fronthaul �Backhaul �IP MPLS �Network

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

�CO

�CO�Central Office

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Backhaul

�Passivefronthaul

�Active fronthaul

�BBU

�BBU

�BBU

�TG-Series CWDM filters:

� Up to 16 channels per fiber pair

� Single or dual fiber working

� Broad range of MDUs

� Broad range of OADMs

� Extended temperature support

� Different mounting options

� rack/street cabinet/splice chamber

� Can be combined with Fiber Protection Unit (FPU)

�CWDM transceivers that supports CPRI in RRH and BBU:

� I-temp required (placement in antenna) � Requires RRH to allow third party

transceiver

�80km

�I-temp (Industrial grade outdoor temperature range, -40 °C to 85 °C)

Benefits with Passive Fronthaul

� WDM saves fiber

� Low / no power alternative

� Ring or point to point structure

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�or

�Backhaul

�Passivefronthaul

�Active fronthaul

Active Fronthaul – Transparent WDM

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�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Fronthaul �Backhaul �IP MPLS �Network

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

�CO

�CO

�CO

�Central Office

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Backhaul

�Passivefronthaul

�Active fronthaul

�BBU

�BBU

�BBU

�TM-Series CWDM or DWDM platform:� Transport of 1.2288 / 2.458 / 9.830 Gb/s

CPRI

� 1.2288 / 2.458 Gb/s CPRI; transparent transport using TPQMP

� 9.830 Gb/s CPRI; Transparent transport using TPD10G-Lite

�Cell site cabinet

TP

TP

TP

�300km

Active Fronthaul – WDM with FEC and enhanced management

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�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Fronthaul �Backhaul �IP MPLS �Network

�Cell site cabinet

�Cell site cabinet

�CO

�CO

�CO

�Central Office

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Backhaul

�Passivefronthaul

�Active fronthaul

�BBU

�BBU

�BBU

�TM-Series CWDM or DWDM platform:� Transport of 1.2288 / 2.458 / 9.830 Gb/s CPRI

� 1.2288 / 2.458 Gb/s CPRI, GbE, SDH/SONET; iWDM Multi-Service using 10G Muxponder (MS-MXP/10G)

� 9.830 Gb/s CPRI; iWDM transport using TPQ10GFEC

�Cell site cabinet

TP

TP

TP

MXP

MXP

Benefits with Active Fronthaul

Active Fronthaul – Transparent WDM � Ring or point to point

� Transparent transport

� Extremely low latency, 4ns

� Cost-effective

Active Fronthaul – WDM with FEC and enhanced management�Ring or point to point

� iWDM framing with FEC� Transponder/Muxponder solution

� Performance monitoring

� Superior sync capabilities supporting multiple sync domains

� Long-haul capabilities with FEC

� Extremely low latency, 6.1µ seconds

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�

�or

�Backhaul

�Passivefronthaul

�Active fronthaul

�IP MPLS �Network

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Fronthaul / Backhaul �BBU

�BBU

�BBU

�Central Office�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

Mobile Backhaul and Mobile Fronthaul overlapping

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�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�Fronthaul �Backhaul �IP MPLS �Network

�CO

�CO

�CO

�Central Office

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�RRH

�BBU

�BBU

�BBU

TP

TP

�CPRI Fronthaul (Mobile Fronthaul)

�Same network used for both Mobile Fronthaul and Mobile Backhaul services

Summary – Transmode’s Mobile solutions

� Supports Mobile Backhaul and Fronthaul in the same solution

� Superior Sync performance

� Ultra low latency � For Backhaul in Ethernet and MPLS-TP CE 2.0

Networks

� For Fronthaul applications

� Low Power design for supporting OPEX savings

� Options of Mobile Fronthaul� Passive WDM

� Active WDM

� Options of Mobile Backhaul (CE 2.0)� Ethernet

� MPLS-TP

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THANK YOU!